Luggage



July 11, 1933. Q PLOTKlN 1,917,458

LUGGAGE v Filed April 28. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0. H. PLOTKIN July 11, 1933.

LUGGAGE Filed April 28. .1931

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1933 OSCAR H. PLOTKIN, OF CHICAGQILLINOIS,

A$SIGNOR T S. DRESNER 8c SONQINC OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COEPOR-A'IIONJOF ILLINOIS LUGGAGE Application filed April 28,

This invention relates to luggage, and more particularly to hand luggage, its principal. object being to provide self-contained means in a traveling bag such, for instance, as a g Gladstone bag for suspending and retaining garments in neatlyfolded condition, whereby they may be transported from place to place without becoming wrinkled. Another object is to provide hand luggage in the form of a 1D Gladstone bag, or the like, wherein long garments, such as overcoats, may be suspended and retained in neatly folded condition.

Another object is to provide garment suspending and retaining means in hand luggage which shall be simple and easy to manipulate, and embodying a swingable garment rack over which a garment may be draped and retained in unwrinkled condition.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of this specification, and with all of these objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

v 28 The invention is clearly illustrated in the and retaining means embodying the preferred form of the invention and showing the bag in partly opened condition;

Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of one of the garment racks detached from the bag;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

F ig. i is a detail fragmental vertical cross section taken on the line 4: of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmental cross section through the hinged end of the bag and illus-, trating fragments of the links which comprise part of the garment racks;

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bag showing the same fully open 'ith one of the garment racks in position to receive a garment and the other one folded into the case;

Fig. 7 is aview similar to Fig. 6 and showing garments draped upon the garment racks, one of said racks occupying a position intermediate the position shown in Fig. 6 and the 1931'. Serial No. 533,466

position occupied when moved into the section for containing the suspended garments;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating a slightly modified form of garment rack; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a modified form of hinge connection for the links. I v

Referring to said drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, which are illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, the reference character 10 designates a traveling bag, here shown in the form of the Glad stone type, composed of the two case sections 11 and 12 hingedly connected together at one end by hinges 13 and provided at the other end with suitable locking means and a handle, as is customary. A partition or dividing wall 14, usually composed of semirigid material, is swingingly connected to the 1 case at the hinged edges of the two sections, as is customary and form a closure for one or both of the sectlons. Tabs 15 are provided.

on the section 11, having snap fastener members co-acting with complementary snap fastener members on the partition to secure the latter to the section 11.

Usually a fiat bar 16 (see F ig. 5) overlies the hinged edge of the partition and fastens its hinged edge in place and the ends of said bar are rigidly fastened to the middle leaves of the hinges which connect the two case sections, thereby providing rigid cross Connection between the two hinges of the case. Usually the bar 16 and the connecting portion 17 between the two case sections 11 and 12 are secured together by rivets, staples, or the like. I

Swingingly mounted in one or both of the case sections are garment racks 18 and 19, each of which is movable, when the bag is open, from a position entirely within one of the case sections to a position overlying or standing upon the partition, such a position being indicated in Fig.6. In some cases it may be desirable to employ only one garment rack in the case,but in order to accommodate several garments, it is preferred to employ at least two garment racks in a section.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the garment rack comprises a rectangular hanger frame 20 which is swiveled to the free ends of swinging links 21 that are hingedly connected with the case at the hinged end thereof. Desirably, the hinge connections between the links 21 and case take the form of plates 22 (see Fig. 5) secured to the cross bar 16 as by screws 23 and having ears formed on one edge to which the links 21 are pivotally connected by rivets or other hinge pins 2%.

The hanger frame 20 may be formed fron a length of bar or strap material bent up to form two longitudinal frame bars 25 and two end frame bars 26. The swivel connections illustrated at 27, between the links 21 and hanger frame 20, are desirably located midway between the ends of the end frame bars 26, whereby the hanger frame may occupy the same relative position within a case section regardless of which longitudinal frame bar 25 is uppermost inthe case,

For the purpose of stilfeningthe longitudinal frame bars 25 and also to provide rounded edges on said bars, half round strips of wood 28 are fastened upon the outer sides of said bars. The longitudinal frame bars co-operate with garment hangers 30 to suspend and retain the garments in the case, the

. garments being draped over at least one of the horizontal frame bars when packed in the case, and to prevent any possibility of the garment slidingoff either end of a horizontal frame bar in case the bag is placed on end, the material from which the hanger frame. is made is bent upon itself at the corner portions of the frame to provide shoulders or stop members 29 at the ends of the horizontal frame bars. Itwillbe apparentthat any tendency for a garment to slip off either end of a horizontal frame bar will be resisted by the shoulder or stop member at that end of the bar.

Co-operating with each garment frame 20 is the garment hanger 30 which may be of conventional form (see Fig. 1.) provided with a hook member 31, whereby the garment hanger may be attached to the hanger frame. One or both of the horizontal frame bars of the frame is provided with an in-,

ing apparel.

In situations where two sets of clothes racks are employed in a case section, one of the hanger frames may be made slightly narrower than the other, and the links 21 of the narrower frame are disposed upon the inner sides of the ears of the hinge plates 22 and the links of the wider frame are disposed on the outer sides of said ears, the links at each end being connected to the car by a single rivet or hinge pin. Desirably, the hinged ends of the two sets of links 21 are formed with end portions that are extended laterally for unequal distances whereby to assure spaced positioning of the two hanger frames when swung into adjacent relation within one of the case sections, as indicated in Fig. 7 lVhen so positioned, however, the hanger frames may, within certain limits, adjust themselves mutually, inasmuch as they are free to swing upon their pivotal mountings in accordance with the size or dis position of the garments draped thereupon. The links of the wider hanger frame may also be provided with laterally extending lugs 33 which form relatively wide bearing surfaces for the lower edges of the links, thereby preventing the narrow edges of the links from cutting or rapidly wearing away the lining of the case, due to any friction between them. The lugs extend laterally towards the middle of the case and also form stop plates for the links of the narrower frame to strike against.

A suggested method of packing a case equipped with the garment racks embodying the present invention will now be described.

The case is opened and, preferably, the two sections thereof laid out fiat on a floor or other place and one entire garment rack is swung out from the case section in which it was contained, bringing the hanger frame over the partition 14 and desirably extending it into an approximately upright position, as is indicated in Fig. 6. However, th s is not necessary as the hanger frame may be laid down upon the partition 14, if desired.

T he garment hanger 30 is attached to the horizontal frame bar of the hanger frame which is uppermost or at least disposed farthest away from the free edge of the partition. The shoulder portions of a garment, such, for instance, as a coat A is placed upon the garment hanger 30, as is indicated in Fig. 6, after which the hanger frame 20 is turned, upon its swivel connection with the links, in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 6, thereby bringing the lowermost horizontal frame bar of the rack up against the garment approximately at its midsection, and by further turning the hanger frame in the same direction until it is parallel with the links 21, the entire garment rack, together with the garment suspended at a point midway between its ends by the horizontal cross bar over which the garment is draped and which is now up permost, may be moved into the case section.

It will be observed that when the cascis closed and stood upright, the garment is suspended from the uppermost horizontal frame bar of the hanger frame and that by reason of the stop members 29 thereon, the garment cannot lazs slip off the frame, but is suspended by the up per horizontal frame bar thereof in a neat and unwrinkled condition with the shoulder portion of the garment drawn snugly upon the garment hanger 30.

lVhen the two garment racks are used, one garment is first draped upon the garment rack having the wider hanger frame, that is to say, the one which occupies a position nearest the lower wall of the case section, as shown in Fig. 6, and therea ter another garment is draped up n the narrower hanger frame. In case a long garment, such as an overcoat, is to be packed in the case, it is first hung up on the garment hanger 30 and thereafter the hanger frame is turned upon its swivel connection with the links in the same direction as before, but through a complete circle so as to bring the garment hanger uppermost again in order to have the tails of the coat fall over the horizontal bar opposite the one to which the garment hanger 30 is attached. This is more clearly indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, where the method of hanging an overcoat upon a garment rack is illustrated. It will be observed from this figure that when the hanger frame is turned completely around to a position with the garment hanger disposed at the upper side thereof and then lowered into the case section, the case closed and stood up, the coat will be suspended not only from its shoulders, but from the part thereof which is'draped over the horizontal .lnr opposite the one to which the garment hanger is attached.

In the modified form of clothes rack illustrated in Fig. 8, the hanger frame 20 is riveted or otherwise secured to short links or arms 21 which are hinged to the hinge plates 22, as in the preferred form. In this embodiment of the invention, the garment hanger is attached to the horizontal bar 25 which is the one that occupies the lowermost position when the clothes rack is in place in the case when stood up.

As in the preferred form. the garment rack may be swung down upon the other section of the case and the garment laid over the horizontal bar farthest removed from the hinge connection and the shoulders of the coat draped over the garment hanger. hen the clothes rack is swung upward, the garment will be suspended by the horizontal bar over which it was draped. and when moved into the case section, the garment will be suspended a-nd retained in the case section in the same manner as in the preferred form.

In the use of such a bag, it may be found convenient, in some instances, to remove the frame from the bag. This may be readily ac complished by the use of a detachable hinge oint, as suggested in Fig. 9, wherein is shown one of the plates 22, the ear of which has a hinge pin 2% extending therefrom, the pin having an annular groove 35 to receive the free end of a book 36 pivoted on the end of the link 21. When the hook is placed 111 groove, the link is prevented from moving longitudinally on the pin 24 and when the hook is moved out of the grooves, as shown in dotted line's in Fig. 9, the link may be detached from the plate.

From the above it will be seen that the garment racks, together with the garments suspended thereby, are supported from places adjacent the hinged end of the case and preferably supported by a rigid cross connection betweenthe hinges, thereby taking all of the strain away from the walls of the case. Furthermore, with the use of a swiveled clothes rack, the garments may be draped thereover with great ease and neatly folded upon the same, and when placed in the case section will be suspended and retained in such neatly folded condition until removed therefrom.

I claim:

1. In combination, a luggage case having two hinged together case sections, a garment rack mounting having links formed with bent end portions hingedly connected to the case adjacent the hinged end thereof and to extend into one case section and rest upon a side wall thereof, whereby said garment rack may be swung from a position wholly within one case section to a position over and lying upon the other case section and a gara ment rack pivotally mounted adjacent the free ends of said links.

2. In combination, a luggage case having two hinged together case sections, and a garment rack swingingly connected to said case at a place adjacent the hinged connection between the two case sections, said garment rack having links formed with bent end portions adapted to bear against a wall of one of the case sections and provided with widened portions engaging said wall.

8. In an article of luggage, the combination of two hinged case secti0ns,two pair of spaced links having end portions laterally extended for unequal distances hinged to swing intoqone of the case sections and out therefrom toward the other case section, a connection between the free ends of each pair of links consisting of a garment rack in the form of a rectangular frame having opposite end bars arranged adjacent to and inside of the associated links and pivotally joined thereto at points substantially midway of the length of the end bars, each garment rack being revolvably carried between its associated links and, when rotated to a position substantially in a plane therewith, being movable with such links into or out of the case section first specified, the positions of the links for each garment rack, when lying -within said casesection, being spaced adjacent their hinged ends in accordance with the distances determined by the laterally extended end portions of the two pair of links,

the free ends of the two links consisting solely of a garment rack in the form of a rectangular frame having opposite ends bars arranged adjacent to and inside of the links and pivotally joined thereto at points substantially midway of the length of the end bars and having opposed horizontal bars joined to the end bars and extending. therebetween at points slightly removed from the ends thereof whereby the extremities of the end bars are protruded beyond the horizontal bars to afford stops for limiting sliding movement therealong of garments draped thereupon, the garment rack being revolvably carried between the links and, when rotated to a position in a plane therewith, being movable with the links into and out of the case section first specified.

' OSCAR H. PLOTKIN.

lid 

